diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventservice/BuildEventServiceUploader.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventservice/BuildEventServiceUploader.java
index 610c33993b0503..af0becde4ad032 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventservice/BuildEventServiceUploader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventservice/BuildEventServiceUploader.java
@@ -93,12 +93,6 @@
 public final class BuildEventServiceUploader implements Runnable {
   private static final GoogleLogger logger = GoogleLogger.forEnclosingClass();
 
-  /** Configuration knobs related to RPC retries. Values chosen by good judgement. */
-  private static final int MAX_NUM_RETRIES =
-      Integer.parseInt(System.getProperty("BAZEL_BES_NUM_RETRIES_ON_RPC_FAILURE", "4"));
-
-  private static final int DELAY_MILLIS = 1000;
-
   private final BuildEventServiceClient besClient;
   private final BuildEventArtifactUploader buildEventUploader;
   private final BuildEventServiceProtoUtil besProtoUtil;
@@ -544,7 +538,7 @@ private void publishBuildEvents()
                     BuildProgress.Code.BES_STREAM_NOT_RETRYING_FAILURE,
                     message);
               }
-              if (retryAttempt == MAX_NUM_RETRIES) {
+              if (retryAttempt == buildEventProtocolOptions.besUploadMaxRetries) {
                 String message =
                     String.format(
                         "Not retrying publishBuildEvents, no more attempts left: status='%s'",
@@ -629,7 +623,7 @@ private void publishLifecycleEvent(PublishLifecycleEventRequest request)
       throws DetailedStatusException, InterruptedException {
     int retryAttempt = 0;
     StatusException cause = null;
-    while (retryAttempt <= MAX_NUM_RETRIES) {
+    while (retryAttempt <= this.buildEventProtocolOptions.besUploadMaxRetries) {
       try {
         besClient.publish(request);
         return;
@@ -656,7 +650,7 @@ private void publishLifecycleEvent(PublishLifecycleEventRequest request)
     throw withFailureDetail(
         cause,
         BuildProgress.Code.BES_UPLOAD_RETRY_LIMIT_EXCEEDED_FAILURE,
-        "All retry attempts failed.");
+        String.format("All %d retry attempts failed.", retryAttempt - 1));
   }
 
   private void ensureUploadThreadStarted() {
@@ -723,9 +717,12 @@ private static boolean shouldRetryStatus(Status status) {
         && !status.getCode().equals(Code.FAILED_PRECONDITION);
   }
 
-  private static long retrySleepMillis(int attempt) {
+  private long retrySleepMillis(int attempt) {
+    Preconditions.checkArgument(attempt >= 0, "attempt must be nonnegative: %s", attempt);
     // This somewhat matches the backoff used for gRPC connection backoffs.
-    return (long) (DELAY_MILLIS * Math.pow(1.6, attempt));
+    return (long)
+        (this.buildEventProtocolOptions.besUploadRetryInitialDelay.toMillis()
+            * Math.pow(1.6, attempt));
   }
 
   private DetailedStatusException withFailureDetail(
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventstream/BuildEventProtocolOptions.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventstream/BuildEventProtocolOptions.java
index 0333f0c30bb99b..76c3fa0d3b5023 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventstream/BuildEventProtocolOptions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventstream/BuildEventProtocolOptions.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import com.google.devtools.common.options.OptionDocumentationCategory;
 import com.google.devtools.common.options.OptionEffectTag;
 import com.google.devtools.common.options.OptionsBase;
+import java.time.Duration;
 
 /** Options used to configure the build event protocol. */
 public class BuildEventProtocolOptions extends OptionsBase {
@@ -34,14 +35,31 @@ public class BuildEventProtocolOptions extends OptionsBase {
   public boolean legacyImportantOutputs;
 
   @Option(
-    name = "experimental_build_event_upload_strategy",
-    defaultValue = "null",
-    documentationCategory = OptionDocumentationCategory.LOGGING,
-    effectTags = {OptionEffectTag.AFFECTS_OUTPUTS},
-    help = "Selects how to upload artifacts referenced in the build event protocol."
-  )
+      name = "experimental_build_event_upload_strategy",
+      defaultValue = "null",
+      documentationCategory = OptionDocumentationCategory.LOGGING,
+      effectTags = {OptionEffectTag.AFFECTS_OUTPUTS},
+      help = "Selects how to upload artifacts referenced in the build event protocol.")
   public String buildEventUploadStrategy;
 
+  @Option(
+      name = "experimental_build_event_upload_max_retries",
+      defaultValue = "4",
+      documentationCategory = OptionDocumentationCategory.LOGGING,
+      effectTags = {OptionEffectTag.BAZEL_INTERNAL_CONFIGURATION},
+      help = "The maximum number of times Bazel should retry uploading a build event.")
+  public int besUploadMaxRetries;
+
+  @Option(
+      name = "experimental_build_event_upload_retry_minimum_delay",
+      defaultValue = "1s",
+      documentationCategory = OptionDocumentationCategory.LOGGING,
+      effectTags = {OptionEffectTag.BAZEL_INTERNAL_CONFIGURATION},
+      help =
+          "Initial, minimum delay for exponential backoff retries when BEP upload fails. (exponent:"
+              + " 1.6)")
+  public Duration besUploadRetryInitialDelay;
+
   @Option(
       name = "experimental_stream_log_file_uploads",
       defaultValue = "false",
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventservice/BazelBuildEventServiceModuleTest.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventservice/BazelBuildEventServiceModuleTest.java
index 8063ae0ab239d0..50b5433da0c635 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventservice/BazelBuildEventServiceModuleTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/buildeventservice/BazelBuildEventServiceModuleTest.java
@@ -232,6 +232,16 @@ public void testCreatesStreamerForBesTransport() throws Exception {
         .isInstanceOf(BuildEventServiceTransport.class);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testRetryCount() throws Exception {
+    runBuildWithOptions(
+        "--bes_backend=does.not.exist:1234", "--experimental_build_event_upload_max_retries=3");
+    afterBuildCommand();
+
+    events.assertContainsError(
+        "The Build Event Protocol upload failed: All 3 retry attempts failed");
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testConnectivityFailureDisablesBesStreaming() throws Exception {
     class FailingConnectivityStatusProvider extends BlazeModule